Breaking the Language Barrier - Supporting and Celebrating Multilingual Learners

Teaching Today

In this episode, we discuss the importance of recognizing and valuing multilingual learners, with a focus on the connection between language and identity. Maria Underwood, Senior Professional Development Advisor at CPET, and Vince Mou, CPET Professional Development Coach, and Teachers College Zankel Fellow, share origin stories of their personal and professional passion for supporting multilingual learners. Alongside Teaching Today host, Roberta Lenger Kang, they explore the challenges faced by students whose primary language at home is not English, the need for educators to create safe spaces for linguistic mobility, and practical ways educators can use available tools and resources to connect with students who may have language barriers, emphasizing the need for ongoing conversations to better support and affirm multilingual learners in classrooms. We’re proud to make this content free and accessible to all. If you find value in our episodes, please consider donating to support and sustain our efforts: https://cpet.tc.columbia.edu/giving.html